When Matthew Stafford came back from the locker room after the half-time break, he checked his right throwing hand. Two short fist pumps, a few finger exercises, thumb wiggles, and then he took a closer look at this hand: Is the palm possibly covered in sweat? He shook his right arm, no kidding, making sure it didn’t get too heavy. However, he refrained from looking to see if his knees were shaky, as that would have been too much of a metaphor.
Rapper Eminem, from Detroit, had performed his unforgettable song “Lose Yourself” just a few minutes earlier during a grandiose Californian halftime show, which is about taking this one chance that life offers you – despite wobbly knees, heavy arms and sweaty hands. Stafford, who was with the Detroit Lions for twelve years and is now quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, was asked years ago: do you prefer to be in the lead and trust the defensive on the sidelines – or be behind and have the ball in your hand? His answer, without hesitation: “Ball in hand.”
Both happened in that Super Bowl, and that’s exactly why the Rams won an insane game 23-20 against the Cincinnati Bengals – and it’s no exaggeration to say LA won the Cali Bowl. It was so incredibly Californian what was happening in Los Angeles, from tropical temperatures (30 degrees Celsius) to a halftime extravaganza celebrating California rap music (for the first time in this game’s history) and Los Angeles lifestyle, to to this game, which was tantamount to a Hollywood thriller. Can it get any more Californian? Yes, the whole stadium smelled of marijuana – as legal (and as popular) here as beer is in Bavaria.
The Bengals really wanted to screw up the Rams’ “final at home”.
Stafford had shaky knees, a heavy arm and, above all, a sweaty hand at the beginning of the second half. The Rams had led, 13-10, but then the Bengals hit a 75-yard touchdown on the first play, giving Cincinnati a 17-13 lead. Stafford had learned during the break that Odell Beckham Junior – who caught the first Rams touchdown – would be out with a knee injury. On the first series after Bengals playmaker Joe Burrow’s wide touchdown on Tee Higgins, Stafford threw a pass to Beckham substitute Van Jefferson: intercepted, the game was completely turned around.
That’s exactly what the Bengals wanted, but their entire strategy was designed to really screw up the “finale dahoam” for the Rams; and they wanted to do it like they’d done the entire playoffs: annoy the opponent and then hit them suddenly and violently. Their music for the invasion and before each significant offensive move by the opponent – they were officially the home team, so they decided over the loudspeakers: “Welcome to the Jungle”, that Guns N’ Roses-Song about how shit it all is in Los Angeles and how this seemingly dazzling city only brings you to your knees in the end.
Athletic: small pinpricks against Stafford and his colleagues, absolutely no mistakes from Burrow despite some courageous decisions (risky passes or playing the fourth try instead of kicking the ball to the opponent), sometimes three-point field goals from kicker Evan Accept McPherson. The first-half field goal was preceded by a 46-yard pass by Burrow to college buddy Ja’Marr Chase, the touchdown was a trick play that saw runner Joe Mixon throw to Higgins in the end zone. In “Welcome to the Jungle” there is the line of text: “If something smiles at you in this town, you’ll grab it at some point.” The Bengals attacked coldly, every time, and because both teams only scored one field goal each after the spectacular start of the second half, it was a few minutes before the end: 20:16 for the Bengals.
Hardly made a mistake and was still the loser in the end: Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
(Photo: Mike Segar/Reuters)
“Welcome to the Jungle” also says: “You can have whatever you want – but you better not take it from me.” The Rams had sacrificed pretty much everything before and during the season, most notably the right to vote at the upcoming talent fairs, to put together this roster. One of the things they brought in was this quarterback who said he’d rather be behind in possession than the other way around. That’s exactly what happened, as if the professional league NFL, which had also Californianized everything for this game (the front page of the stadium magazine looked like a movie poster, a red carpet the length of a marathon was laid out at the west entrance, the halftime show), hired a Hollywood screenwriter for the end .
And then Quarterback Stafford’s knees are shaking
So then: with six minutes to play, Stafford had the ball and a green to cover 78 yards. It took 19 plays, and it really did have everything that makes football so damn fascinating: Stafford’s shaking hands; successful fourth attempt; Suddenly a steady hand without a sweat at Stafford with five successful passes in a row, including a 22-yard throw to receiver Cooper Kupp. Then again trembling hand at Stafford, there were now only a few yards in the end zone, but it didn’t work.
Then: Penalty against Cincinnati, only four yards. Touchdown – no, penalty against both teams, no touchdown. Another penalty against the Bengals, another yard. Stafford attempted a run himself, but his knees were weak now. But then: Stafford from close range with a precise pass into the end zone to Kupp, who caught a total of eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns and was therefore named the most valuable player of the game.
The man of the match: Cooper Kupp celebrates with his family in a rain of confetti.
(Photo: Mike Segar/Reuters)
Only: The game wasn’t over yet, there were still 85 seconds to play, and Burrow had proven in the playoffs how cool he is – and he only needed a few yards to kicker McPherson, another one with nerves Stahl, the chance to equalize and thus allow extension. Stafford, however, had given this interview while he was still in Detroit. Now he was playing for the Rams, and they have Aaron Donald, the best defenseman in the league. He was there when Burrow wanted to start the comeback. He shared about his playing style with what Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose calls out to the LA crowd on “Welcome to the Jungle”: “You’re in the Jungle, Baby – you’re gonna die. ” Donald knocked Burrow down twice in a row, game over.
The Rams, as they do in LA, put everything on this one card, they gave a damn about everything, especially the future, in order to achieve the greatest possible success in the here and now. Only dreamers dare to do that, and there are enough of those in this town. Stafford has become such an LA dreamer ahead of the season; now he was standing on the field and slowly realizing that this dream had really come true. The loudspeakers blared Randy Newman’s “I Love LA” and smelled of marijuana.